Ptilotus semilanatus

Perennial herb to c. 40 cm high, with annual stems arising from a much-branched, woody rootstock. Stems glabrous or glabrescent. Basal leaves narrowly oblanceolate, long-attenuate at base, the largest 20–6 mm long, 3–5(–7) mm wide, glabrous, with or without a terminal mucro to c. 0.5 mm long, margins sometimes undulate; stem leaves similar but smaller and relatively wider (to c. 8 mm). Spike erect, hemispherical or ovoid (rarely cylindrical), 10–30(–60) mm long, 30–40 mm diam., dense, pink to mauve; bract ovate, 4–6 mm long, with mucro 0.5–1 mm long; bracteoles broad-ovate, equal to bract; perianth 14–19 mm long; tepals united at base into a hardened cup c. 2 mm long, otherwise free, outer surface with long, silky hairs, overlying a denser layer of short barbed hairs that extend to the base (where slightly longer), inner surface glabrous except for a loose woolly tuft at base; fertile stamens 3; ovary supported on stipe as long as basal cup of perianth, sparsely pubescent at summit, style 9–12 mm long, eccentric to central. Flowers Oct.–Jan.